Education vs. Training: Accommodating AI in the Worldwide Air Cargo Logistics Industry

The potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the worldwide air cargo logistics industry. Among the reviewed studies, one suggested that while AI could affect 10% of the work tasks of 80% of the US workforce (“The future of work, Your new colleague,” The Economist, May 13, 2023, Pg. 56), the use of AI can create numerous […]

Carrier operating margins fall into single digits for first time in 3 years

There’s good news and bad news in the lead article in this week’s report from Alphaliner, the leading container publication from brokers BRS. First, the good news. Analysing Q2 results for the nine global carriers who publish their earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) shows that volumes bottomed out in the first quarter “The first […]

Flying into the future: KLM kicks off Electric Flying Connection Tour

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the trade association Electric Flying Connection (EFC) offered a group of KLM guests a unique opportunity to experience the future of flying. The eighteen guests received a trial electric flying lesson aboard a Pipistrel Velis Electro, supervised by instructors from the E-Flight Academy. The 18 training flights, which operated between […]

When blue fuels masquerade as green

The Emperor’s New Clothes is a tale written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837. Disney hasn’t made a film of it; the plot turns on a vain monarch, who is tricked into believing that he has bought a magnificent suit of clothes, when in fact he has bought nothing at all. He is the victim […]

ECA: Pilot fatigue – a new report reveals safety management deficiencies

Microsleeps in the cockpit, insufficient rest opportunities to prevent cumulative fatigue, extending flight duties beyond the legal maximum: a newly released report paints a poor picture of fatigue risk management in European aviation. The report, ‘A fatigue survey of European Pilots’ by the aviation safety management consultancy Baines Simmons, analyses the responses from nearly 6.900 European pilots […]

Corvus Tapped to Supply World’s Largest Electric Ship Battery

Corvus Energy has been selected to supply the battery systems for the world’s largest 100% electric Ro-Pax ferry. With over 40 MWh of energy storage, the battery system will be four times larger than the current largest installation in all of maritime. The lighweight ferry, built by Incat in Tasmania for Buquebus, will be the […]

Major U.S. Retailers Returning to ‘Just-in-Time’ Supply Chain

During the worst shipping delays of the early pandemic, consumer and transportation analysts predicted U.S. retailers would buy more goods than they needed to prevent future disruptions from turning into empty store shelves, but a new analysis suggests they are returning to old habits.  With pandemic-related shipping problems in the rearview mirror, major U.S. retailers are no longer buying […]

Supply Chain Hopeful of Container Market Rebound, Survey Shows

A survey of more than 2,500 supply chain professionals has shown that a majority are hopeful of container market rebound. Despite the ongoing market fluctuations, the Container xChange’s Container Price Sentiment Index (xCPSI) witnessed growth in July over June. Container prices have also remained stable in July, indicating a market improvement that offers favorable conditions for shippers […]

What if Panama Canal droughts are the new normal?

The current low level of water is unprecedented, says the ACP. But in an era of climate change, ‘unprecedented’ happenings have an alarming propensity to set precedents anew THE six-day closure of the Suez Canal after the Ever Given (IMO: 9811000) grounding in 2021 sent the finely calibrated global logistics chain haywire. Imagine the consequences if the world’s […]

No Clear Winner in U.S., China Contest in the Pacific

 The United States opened international aid offices in the Pacific Islands this week, bolstering support for the strategic region and pitting it more forcefully against China, which has been providing infrastructure loans to the area for years. The vast ocean region, pivotal in World War Two, is in the spotlight again amid tensions over Taiwan. Taiwanese officials […]